Today I want to talk about SEO for coaches.
If you’re a coach who’s exhausted by the Instagram grind—this is for you. Maybe you’ve been coaching for years and remember when Instagram was the golden age: your content actually got seen, you could grow an audience, and engagement felt easy. But now? You’ve plateaued. No matter how hard you try, it just doesn’t work like it used to.
Or maybe you’re a newer coach, and you’re realizing how hard it is to grow there. You keep hearing advice from other coaches about what they did to succeed, but when you try it, it doesn’t work—because Instagram has changed.
If that sounds familiar, you’re going to love this video. I’m going to break down SEO for coaches and explain why I believe search engine optimization—what I like to call search-driven marketing—is the best way to market and grow your business.
But first, I’m Kara. I do Pinterest and blogging for service-based businesses and coaches. I even offer “done-for-you” packages, because SEO and blogging are some of the easiest things to outsource. Unlike social media management, you don’t have to keep showing up as the face of your brand—someone else can write and optimize content for you while you keep doing the work you love.
So let’s dive in: if you want more consistent leads, long-term visibility, and new opportunities for your coaching business, SEO might be exactly what you’ve been looking for.
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Because here’s the truth: it’s not just potential clients searching on Google anymore. People are also turning to tools like ChatGPT. And yes, when I talk about SEO, I include AI search—because whether it’s Google or AI, the main point is the same: freedom from the social media hamster wheel.
So let’s dive in. I want to outline the core problem most coaches are facing right now, so you can see if you’re in the right place.
The Problem With Ignoring SEO For Coaches
We’re all noticing the same trend: declining reach on Instagram. The pressure to constantly create content feels endless. And while you might not feel full-on burnout yet, it’s likely coming—because the cycle never stops.
Here’s where it gets tricky: whether you have a launch model or an evergreen model, you need new people finding you consistently. But many coaches tell me, “I feel like I’m launching to the same audience over and over again.” Eventually, that stops working.
That’s why SEO matters.
So what is SEO? It stands for search engine optimization. Traditionally, we think of it as getting found on Google—but the same principles apply to AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude. So if you’re worried your audience is shifting to AI instead of Google, you’re still covered.
And let me clear this up right now: SEO isn’t just “blogging.” Blogging can be part of it, but SEO is about positioning yourself as an authority, showing up where people are already searching, and attracting warm leads who are actively looking for your services.
That’s a huge difference from Instagram. On social media, you’re disrupting someone’s scroll and hoping they realize they have a problem. With SEO, you’re meeting them at the exact moment they’re searching for a solution.
On social media, the strategy is basically: I’m going to keep showing up in your feed until you finally realize you have a problem—and oh, by the way, I have the solution.
But search-driven marketing is different. Here, people are actively looking for answers. They already know they have a problem, they’re searching for a solution, and they’re in the right mindset to take action. That makes them far more likely to invest.
Think about it: when you’re scrolling Instagram, you might be standing in line at the grocery store or putting your toddler to bed. You’re half-distracted, not exactly in “buying mode.” But when you sit down to Google something, it’s intentional. You’re focused. You’re ready to read, digest, and maybe even hire someone to solve that problem. That’s why search is such a great match for coaches.
So let’s jump into the SEO for coaches tips.

Tip #1: Do Your Keyword Research
TThe first step in SEO for coaches is keyword research. You want to understand what your potential clients are actually searching for. You don’t need to overcomplicate it—just make sure you’re creating content around real phrases people are typing into search.
You can start simple: check Google’s autocomplete suggestions or tools like Ubersuggest, Answer the Public, or Keywords Everywhere. Those are either free or very affordable. On the more advanced side, there are tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz, which I personally use.
And here’s the thing: Google and AI tools are smart. They understand variations. If you say you’re a “coach for high-achieving women,” they’ll recognize it as similar to “women’s leadership coach.” You don’t have to stress over exact wording.
The power of keyword research is that it uncovers opportunities—topics and phrases that maybe aren’t saturated yet, but still have people searching. And even if you think your niche is crowded, there’s almost always space for more.
Tip #2: Optimize Your Website and Blog
Here’s the thing: there are searches happening every single day that aren’t being fully answered. Keyword research helps you uncover those gaps. But once you know what people are searching for, the next step is to optimize your website and blog so they can actually find you.
Since I specialize in blogging, that’s where I focus—but these same principles apply to your website pages too.
The easiest starting point? Headings.
- Every page should have one H1 tag (your main keyword goes here).
- Use H2 tags for your important subheadings.
- Use H3s or H4s for smaller sections like “Work With Us” or “Read the Blog.”
This may sound technical, but trust me—it’s literally just selecting a heading style in platforms like Showit, Squarespace, or WordPress. It’s simple, and it makes a big difference in how Google reads and ranks your page.
Another quick win: optimize your images.
- Resize them so they don’t slow down your site.
- Rename the files before uploading with keywords, using dashes between words (e.g., denver-life-coach.jpg).
- Add alt text once the images are uploaded.
These are small tweaks, but together they make your site more search-friendly, more user-friendly, and much more likely to get found.
Optimizing your site isn’t just about headings and images—it’s also about publishing high-quality blog posts that answer your clients’ most common questions.
Here’s the key: focus on the questions people ask before they hire you.
- Think about what they’re searching for as a potential solution.
- Remember: what you know is their real problem isn’t always how they describe it. You might need to get a little creative and meet them where they are.
When you’re writing, don’t strip out your personality. Infuse your voice into the post. And if staring at a blank page feels impossible (been there!), try this trick: talk it out first. Record yourself explaining the topic, then transcribe it and edit from there. Sometimes it’s way easier to polish spoken words than to start from scratch.
Also, keep in mind that most people are skimmers. They’ll scan headlines to decide whether to take the next step—like clicking over to your services page. So structure your posts with clear headings and easy-to-digest sections. But balance that with substance: if someone does read every word, it should feel valuable and persuasive—not just optimized for Google, but written to convert readers into clients.

Tip #3: Build Backlinks
The final major piece of SEO is backlinks. Backlinks are simply links to your site from other reputable websites, and they signal authority to Google (and to AI search tools).
Here are some simple ways to build them:
- Collaborate with other coaches – guest post on each other’s blogs.
- Be a podcast guest – a fantastic way to boost your visibility and authority.
- Leverage your students or clients – if they have blogs, see if you can contribute.
- Use Pinterest strategically – instead of pinning your homepage repeatedly, create pins that link directly to individual blog posts. Each pin counts as a backlink and increases your reach.
Backlinks can take time to build, but they’re worth it. Combined with keyword research and website optimization, they’re one of the best long-term strategies to grow your coaching business sustainably.
These are the three biggest things you need to do for SEO for coaches:
- Do smart keyword research.
- Optimize your website and publish blog content that answers client questions.
- Build backlinks to boost your authority.
If you focus on these, you’ll already be way ahead of most coaches still stuck on the Instagram hamster wheel.
You’ve already heard why SEO is so important, and now you’ve got the simplest ways to make it part of your marketing strategy. Honestly, if you just get five solid blog posts up on your site, you’ll already be ahead of most coaches.
But before we wrap up, I want to share some common SEO mistakes I see coaches make—and then talk about how SEO fits into the bigger picture of your marketing.
Common Mistakes Coaches Make with SEO
- Writing for yourself instead of your audience.
Don’t focus on what you want to say—focus on what your ideal clients are actually searching for and what they need to hear. - Ignoring analytics.
There’s so much pressure to constantly “produce, produce, produce,” but sometimes the smartest move is to pause, look at your analytics, and double down on what’s already working. I love using Microsoft Clarity to see how people interact with my blog posts. - Giving up too soon.
SEO is a long game. For coaches, I recommend committing at least 6–12 months before expecting consistent results. This industry is competitive, but not nearly as crowded as Instagram makes it seem. - Not making it clear what you do.
Remember, your competition in search isn’t usually other coaches—it’s big informational websites. That’s actually an advantage, because they can’t offer what you do. To stand out, make sure every blog post clearly states:- Who you are
- Who you serve
- How people can work with you
- Introduce the topic
- Introduce yourself and how to work with you (coaching, group program, course, etc.)
- Share the content
- End with a clear call to action
How SEO For Coaches Fits Into the Rest of Your Marketing
SEO isn’t just a “nice-to-have”—it’s the foundation that supports all your other marketing. Social media is short-term; it disappears quickly. SEO is the long-term play that keeps working for you, even when you’re not online.
When you combine SEO with social media, email, or podcasts, you get the best of both worlds:
- SEO builds consistent, long-term visibility.
- Social and email nurture and convert.
That’s how you get the most bang for your buck—by letting SEO fill your funnel with warm leads while your other marketing deepens the relationship. And yes—I just told you SEO takes 6 to 12 months to really pay off. But here’s the thing: you already tell your clients to focus on the long game, right? The same is true here. You can do this.
That said, to get the most bang for your buck while you’re investing in blogging—whether that’s your own time or hiring someone—you want to repurpose every piece of content. Don’t let those blog posts just sit there. Make them work for you:
- Pull out the best quotes and share them on Threads.
- Turn the core content into a carousel for Instagram.
- Record a simple B-roll video with the hook and call-to-action to read the blog.
- Send an email to your list highlighting the main takeaways.
The options are endless. And here’s my honest perspective as someone who does marketing for a living: when you have one really solid long-form piece of content, everything else in your marketing gets easier.
So that’s it for today. If you’d like to outsource this, you know where to find me. And if you want more tips like this, make sure to like, subscribe, and do all the YouTube things. Thanks so much for watching!